


Lights, Camera, Action!

by CourageousLlama



Category: AU - Fandom, Orange is the New Black, Vauseman - Fandom, oitnb
Genre: AU, Drama, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Orange Is The New Black - Freeform, Romance, vauseman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-13 02:56:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3365120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourageousLlama/pseuds/CourageousLlama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Piper Chapman is in love with the new TV Series "Black Leather", but she really likes one of the main actresses Alex Vause. When she gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the cast, what will happen? (My first fanfic)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm not obsessed!

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first ever fanfic. I'm in love with OITNB and, more specifically, Piper and Alex. I hope you enjoy this fic as I plan on writing more of it. Please leave the reviews, as feedback motivates me a lot!

Alex Vause pulled the sunglasses down over her face and pulled up her hood. This was one of the days she had to walk the streets and she really didn't want someone recognizing her and chasing her down for an autograph. The show had only half a season out, but she couldn't believe all the reviews and fame it was already gathering. She had already attended many parties and celebrations, though most of the time, she just receded into the back of the party place with a bottle of beer. 

 

She quickly hailed a cab and thrust her tall 5"10' frame into the vehicle. She pushed her glasses on top of her head and told the cab driver the address to  _Litch Films Co._ where she had to go over her lines for the next episode. The cab driver looked at her through the rear view mirror and Alex met his eyes briefly. He had curly brown hair and boyish brown eyes. As he did a double take, she knew where this was headed.

 

"Holy shit, you're Alex Vause from that show.. um ..um," he snapped his fingers repeatedly, trying to conjure up the name.

 

" _Black Leather_ ," she attempted to keep the exasperation from her voice. She was truly tired of people making a fuss over her. She figured that's how most people got after a while. She never liked attention much when she was growing up. In school, she'd stay away from the popular crowd and sit towards the back of the classroom, earning herself only a couple of friends. She usually forced a smile, though. She didn't want to hurt the feelings of the people that liked her, as much as she hated their enthusiasm towards her.

 

Her cab driver's face lit up. "Oh, yeah! Of course! Wow, this is awesome! I'm Larry.. Larry Bloom," He turned around and stuck out his hand, which was a bit awkward considering the close quarters. She shook it firmly anyways, hoping he would actually begin to drive soon. He seemed to read her mind and nervously cleared his throat as he turned around and sped of to her destination. When they arrived, he politely asked for her autograph and she signed one of the two $20 bills she gave to him. He waved at her but she was already turning around to go inside the massive building. 

 

\-------------------------

 

Piper Chapman sat on her couch with a bucket of popcorn snugly tucked into her arms. She had heard about this TV show only a day ago and she had nearly finished the entire first half of the season, which was ten episodes. The show was about a biker gang who called themselves Black Leather, or BL, for short. The show was mainly about their adventures all over New York and their struggles with their lives back home. Sometimes, altercations with the authorities. She wasn't sure what she loved about the show so much. Maybe it was how each character's life had a realistic feel to it. Or maybe it was the actors and actresses themselves. One actress sure did catch her eye. She played the character Laura Prepon, but Piper had looked up the actress (not in a creepy stalker way, no of course not) to find out her real name was Alex Vause. The woman had long dark hair that ended in blue tips and piercing green eyes. She usually wore sunglasses in the show, but sometimes, she donned black secretary-like glasses. Her leather jacket had the gang emblem on the back. There were a few others in the gang: a red head with frizzy, lion hair, named Nicky; a smaller woman with short brown air named Lorna, and a couple other women named Poussey, Taystee, and Cindy (though everyone in the show called her Black Cindy). Most of the characters in the show came from a rough background and often the episodes contained one or more of the characters being faced with their past or people from it. In one episode, Laura met her dad at a concert and, after a horrible first meeting, the rest of the gang had to pick her up from her depression. Other episodes were more action-packed. Lorna had shoplifted in one episode and Nicky became frantic, trying to help her stay out of trouble and the gang ended up being chased by at least five police cruisers towards the end.

 

Piper was so engrossed in the show, that she didn't hear her phone buzzing. Only when the episode ended and she checked her phone, did she see she had multiple missed calls from her friend Polly. 

 

"Shit," she dialed her friend who picked up after the second ring.

 _"What the hell, Piper, are you okay?"_  Polly said agitated.

"Yeah I was um... watching a show"

 _"Don't tell me you're watching BL again. You watched that for eight hours straight yesterday and you're still at it?!"_ Piper winced slightly at her tone. She knew she had been a bit.. interested in the show but it was no reason for Polly to yell at her. Polly had suggested the show to her in the first place.

"It's a.. good show...," she said lamely. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt as Polly went off on a rant about how she never does anything anymore and how she can't ignore her phone all the damn time. Finally, she quieted down and gave Piper a chance to talk.

"Listen, I'll make it up to you, okay? Lets.. go for coffee today,"

_"Fine, I'm picking you up at 2. You better be ready"_

"As long as you don't bite my head off when you get here" Piper giggled into the receiver.

 _"Yeah, yeah. See you soon, asshole"_  Piper could almost hear Polly smiling

"Love you, too," she hung up and saw she only had about two hours to get ready. She looked down at her outfit: sweatpants and a baggy Smith Tee. She sighed and got up off the couch to get ready. While she was getting dressed, she found her mind flickering back to the actress from her now favorite TV Show. Alex Vause. She had dated a couple of girls in college, but they were just a fling. She didn't like to call it an experimental phase; she liked to believe she had legitimate feelings for those girls. But something about Alex, was...intriguing, to say the least. She couldn't stop thinking about her and when the doorbell rang, she nearly jumped out of her skin because she had been so lost in thought.

 

\-------------------------

 

"Vause! You made it!" Alex, swiveled her head to see her frizzy-haired costar, Nicky Nichols, sauntering up to her. Alex smirked and turned towards her. They had become friends nearly instantly after meeting. Nicky was the kind of girl who had Alex's sarcastic humor and the same deep compassion that they both hid so well.

"Without getting mauled by street rats, too. Bonus," Nicky chuckled and swung her arm around Alex's shoulders, which didn't go over too well since Alex was about five inches taller than her. Eventually Nicky dropped her arm back to her side as they made their way to the elevators.

"Have you read over the script yet?" Nicky turned towards Alex.

"No, haven't had time, really" Alex replied. Truth was, she was too busy getting drunk at bars and clubs to even bother to look over the script. She knew she would know it like the back of her hand over the course of one day at the studio. It wasn't like they didn't go over it a thousand times.

"I have some pretty sexy scenes with Morello" Nicky waggled her eyebrows, causing Alex to laugh. Nicky and Lorna had a thing on the show (and off-screen, apparently, though both denied it when asked upfront). They were actually kind of cute together and Alex teased Nicky a shit load over it.

"Aw, does Nichols have a schoolgirl crush on her costar?" Alex smirked and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Fuck you, Vause" she chuckled

"No, you should save yourself for Morello"

"You're an asshole" They arrived at their floor, laughing. Their director, Jenji Kohan, met them at the opening doors. She smiled at them. Behind her was a huge hallway, decorated with small lamps that hung from the ceiling. At the end of the hall were a couple rooms where they met up, and their dressing rooms. A huge floor-to-ceiling window was at the very end of the hall and gave a spectacular view of New York streets. Alex sometimes sat at the window and looked down at all the people and wondered where they were heading. As a little kid, she had often watched people and wondered what their stories were, and wondered if they were anything like hers. Her mother, Diane, had four jobs and childhood had been a struggle, at best. Alex figured that's why she was attached to the show so much; because her character had a similar hard childhood like she did and it allowed her to connect with the show and the characters more.

"Good, you two finally made it" Alex looked at her watch.  _Fuck, it was already ten minutes past two, when they were supposed to meet._ Jenji wasn't angry, however, she just led them into the main room where they ran over the script and sometimes did practice shots. Poussey, Taystee, Cindy, and Lorna were already there, talking among themselves with scripts in their hands. Jenji handed Nicky and Alex both a script and they headed to their seats.

"All right, so after we go over the scripts I have some news to share with you guys," Jenji began. She stood in the center of their small semicircle arrangement of chairs and began running over the script. This episode, mainly focused on Nicky and Lorna's relationship (much to he satisfaction of the two). After they were done reading the script, they practiced a scene or two and began to pack up their belongings. It was already nearly 6 pm before Jenji turned to them again. Jenji was a fairly pretty woman, though not Alex's type, with long brunette hair and hazel eyes. Today she wore a loose fitting black dress shirt and simple jeans.

"Right, so in other news, our manager booked us an event at a nearby coliseum type area where fans will come up and get to see all of you. A type of meet-the-cast thing. You'll also be signing autographs and taking photos with fans and Fox News will be their and various magazines, so make yourselves pretty," she smiled at this. "I'm truly proud of you guys for how you handle this. The show has gotten so much more attention than I anticipated, to be honest," The women nodded and talked excitedly about the up-coming event. Alex, however, sat back and thought about the script. As stubborn as she was to admit it to herself, she felt a tiny pang of jealousy at Lorna and Nicky's relationship. 

 

She wished she had that type of bond with someone. Normally the girls she took home from the bar were just one-night stands, whom she ditched the next morning. She hadn't found anyone she thought worth the whole relationship struggle. She didn't really think she would ever find such a woman.

 

\-------------------------

 

Piper and Polly sat in the coffee shop earlier that day. Piper had her usually mocha latte and Polly had some cappuccino with a long complicated name that Piper never cared to remember. She sat across from her best friend who was rambling excitedly about her new boyfriend, Pete. Piper thought they were an adorable couple, but it was all Polly ever talked about. Piper had tuned her out a while ago and just smiled and nodded at appropriate times.

"Are you even listening?" Polly had her elbow on the table, with her hand splayed out, palm up, and an expression on her face as if to say  _Hello? Am I talking to a brick wall?_

"Yeah, yeah I'm listening.. you were talking about Pete's new obsession with um.."

"Cars," Polly finished for her, looking irritated at her short attention-spanned friend. "Is your mind still back on that couch?" she asked teasingly. Piper blushed slightly and shook her head. Polly, raised her eyebrows and gave her the I-know-you look.

"Fine," Piper chuckled. "It's mostly this one actress..." she trailed off as she blushed more.

"Oh. My. God, Piper! You have a silly woman crush on one of the actresses!"

"What..! No I don't!" Piper crossed her arms over her chest and tried to glare at Polly, but she could feel her cheeks growing hotter. Damn her easily reddened face. Polly tilted her head back and laughed.

"Oh my fucking  _God_ , Piper,"

"Shut up"

"Did you blow up your phone with pictures of her off of Google?"

"Shut  _up_ "

"Should I get you a poster, so you can get lipstick stains all over it?" Piper kicked her underneath the table, making Polly laugh harder.

"Ow, okay, okay. But you have to admit, you're pretty obsessed"

"Am  _not_ " Piper pouted like a child. Her and Polly had been best friend since college, about five years now. She hated how easily Polly could read her. She loved Polly, though. They had helped each other through many hard breakups and dramatic flings throughout college. They even had their fair share of caring the other to their dorm when they were passed out drunk. One time, Piper had been so drunk, that they kissed. It was something they never talked about, as it was too weird. 

"Which one is it?"

"The one with the dark hair..."

"Laura?!"

"Her real name is Alex Vause"

"Ha! You looked her up and everything, you little stalker"

"Remind me why I'm friends with you, again," Piper couldn't help but smile. Eventually, they got the check and parted ways, Piper having to promise Polly multiple times to text her and stop ignoring her phone. When Piper got home, she changed back into her sweatpants and t-shirt, and plopped back down on the couch. She went on her phone and went ahead and texted Polly.

**Piper:**

I'm home. You can stop having a heart attack now

**Polly:**

Oh, thank goodness, I was getting ready to call 911 *rolling my eyes*

**Piper:**

Asshole :P

She turned on Netflix on her TV. She finished watching the last episode of BL and she felt herself wondering what to do with her life now. She went on Google to find out when the next half of the season would come out. 

 

Not only did she find that the rest of the season would be coming out net month, but she found the dates to an event at a nearby coliseum. She literally stood up as she read over the details. It was a meet-the-cast event where you could get an autograph and a picture with the cast members and, of course, meet them. Though she tried not to, she thought back to Alex. The event was only two months away and tickets were going fast. She looked at the price and nearly fainted. They were $135 a person. Holy fuck. 

 

She closed out of the internet and opened the messaging app, her thumbs flying across the screen as she typed a text to Polly.

 


	2. Nerves, Nerves, Nerves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the amazing feedback I literally could not believe how nice y'all were to me. Truly motivating thanks so much <33

Alex Vause wasn't one to normally get nervous. However, today, she felt her hands tremble slightly as she got ready for the coliseum event. She tried on three different outfits and redid her make up an innumerable amount of times. She eventually stuck with red lipstick, black eyeliner, and her dark bangs pinned up on top of her head. She wore a long black dress that ended mid-calf and black high heels. The dress had no sleeves and showed off the rose tattoo on her bicep. She took a couple deep breaths in front of the mirror. She wasn't nervous about her appearance, particularly. She was mostly afraid of not being what her fans expected. She knew some people didn't understand how different actresses were off-screen. She had always been self-conscious, it was just that as she was a little kid, she didn't give enough fucks. Now, she was facing people who liked what they saw in the show. Would they like the real her?

 

She stepped out of her apartment with only forty five minutes to spare. The thirty minute cab ride to the coliseum was spent with her nervously fidgeting in the backseat. The cab driver noticed her discomfort and glanced at her in the rear view mirror, trying to give her a reassuring smile. She attempted to smile back but only the corner of her lips twitched slightly. She passed the time by pulling out her phone and texting Nicky.

 

**Alex:**

Fuck, I'm getting really anxious here. 

**Nicky:**

Vause, take a breath. Don't go soft on me.

**Alex:**

Are you there yet?

**Nicky:**

Yes, and waiting for your late ass 

 

Alex checked the clock on her phone. Fuck, it had taken too long to get a cab. It was already 2:02 and she still had about ten minutes left in the ride. 

 

"Shit. Hey, I'll give you another fifty to get me there in the next five minutes," she called up front. The cab driver shot her a mischievous look in the rear view before nearly flooring the accelerator. Alex chuckled and held on to the Oh-Shit handle above the window. They arrived ten minutes late but she thanked the driver and gave him the fee and a generous tip. She was met at the doors by Jenji, who was quickly ushering her in. Again, she wasn't too upset, but she sure as hell wasn't thrilled.

 

"God, Alex, you scared the shit out of me. I thought you'd backed out," She looked at Alex intently, as if she expected her to have some excuse for being late. Alex shrugged at her and smiled. Her nerves were temporarily forgotten as Jenji tugged her by her hand down a maze of hallways to a backstage room. Everyone was already there, of course, and Nicky came over to her. She was about to give Alex a piece of her mind before Jenji spoke up, addressing all of them.

 

"Okay, so here's the plan. I'm going to introduce you guys one by one and you're going to come up on the stage, make a speech, and exit the other side. When everyone is done, the auditorium will empty out and meet us in the front lobby for autographs and photos. After that's done, or at least after thirty minutes of that, because I'm not waiting all day, you all come back here and people with Backstage passes will come to meet you and chat. Got it?" They all nodded. "Good," she breathed out. "We're already late starting," she shot a glare at Alex who looked down at her hands, biting back a smirk.

 

Jenji started at 2:20, walking up the three steps to the stage and exiting through the curtain. Alex heard her voice drift through to her ears as she made an opening speech. One by one, her costars disappeared on stage to make their speech. She was the last one to speak and as she walked up the steps, she fidgeted with the sides of her dress. The audience applauded and she even heard a few gasps and she walked across the stage. Suddenly, all the butterflies in her stomach evaporated and her regular confidence took over. She stood before the microphone and took a minute to look over the crowd. She couldn't see any of the faces well because they'd dimmed the lights in the crowd and had the spotlight on her. She cleared her throat and began. She talked mainly about how she auditioned for the show and how she loved how connected she was to it. She even gave tiny details of her childhood and how it compared to the one on the show. She didn't normally give out such information and she didn't give out a lot of it then. Only enough to make the crowd understand how she was tied. She finished her speech by thanking all of them and acknowledging her mother.

 

**She remembered when she told her mother for the first time what profession she was interested in. She had been one nervous 10 year old then, as she knew some parents wanted their kids to become big shot lawyers and doctors. She was cooking with her mother one day when she brought it up.**

 

**"Mom, what should I be when I grow up?" she decided to beat around the bush a little. She cut up the carrot on the cutting board, avoiding eye contact with her mother. Maybe her mother sensed her nervousness, as she scooted a bit closer to her daughter.**

 

**"You can be whatever you want, hon. As long as you don't end up with four jobs like your mom," she said the last part quietly. Diane Vause worked as a waitress, a janitor, a secretary, and a hostess at four different places and still money was pretty scarce. Alex, however, had always admired her mother's effort. In consequence, she wasn't home very home and Alex was left with friends or to spend most of the night by herself with something her mother had whipped up for dinner. She never complained, though, because she knew it was hard and that her mother was really trying. They had the house, after all. They paid all their bills on time and not once had the electricity or water been turned off.**

 

**"I really like acting..but I know it isn't as cool as being a doctor," at this, her mother laughed.**

 

**"Alex, you're cool enough as it is. You don't need to be a billionaire to make me proud, hon," She roused Alex's hair, which usually she hated, but today she just smiled up at her mom. Having her acceptance was something she cherished. She was aware that they weren't the richest of families but that day Alex felt really lucky to have her as a mother. She was more supportive than any of her teachers or her friends and, most time, her mother was the best friend she had always wanted.**

 

**"On one condition." her mother began with a smirk. "You don't forget about your dear old mother when you get rich and famous," Alex giggled and blushed at the thought of having fame. She wondered what it was like to have the world know your name. She vowed to keep her promise to her mom, though. She could never forget this amazing woman. She spent the rest of her schooling focused on her drama classes. Her mother had tried to pay for acting lessons but the money was just too tight. Alex appreciated her effort, anyway. She tried her best to get into an acting college and when she auditioned her senior year, she was ecstatic. She got the acceptance letter in the mail and Alex had never seen her mother so proud of her. They had celebrated by spending most of their money on good wine and food. That was the first night Alex had ever gotten so drunk she couldn't stand the next day. She loved every minute of it.**

 

Alex recalled the brief memory and smiled that she had kept her vow. As soon as she got off stage, she was attacked by a wild Nicky Nichols.

 

"That was beautiful, Vause," she exclaimed. Alex smirked and raised an eyebrow.

 

"Look who's soft now," she earned herself a shove from Nicky who laughed.

 

"Such an asshole. C'mon they're starting the autographs," she pulled Alex by the arm. They went through another maze of hallways, and Alex wondered why everyone had some kind of internal map that she didn't. They came to the front lobby and already, there was a thick crowd. A few tables were set up in the front of the room with white elegant cloths draped over them. Only she and Alex were missing and they quickly headed to their seats behind the table. Alex signed a number of things: posters, papers, hats, shirts, books, even the back of some guy's neck. She also took a shit ton of photos with fans and soon her face hurt from smiling. The thirty minutes was almost up when someone slid a shirt in front of her. It was a red sleeveless with a picture of her face on the front. She smirked and almost laughed. Without looking up at the person, she asked.

 

"Who do I make it out to?" She looked up and her jaw almost dropped. A gorgeous blonde stood in front of her. She was a bit tall but shorter than herself and she had on a grey tank top and jeans. Her blue eyes bore into Alex's emerald ones and her lips turned into a smile and Alex couldn't help but glance at them. Her frantically thinking mind briefly hoped she had a backstage pass. She gripped her pen tighter and poised it over the shirt, willing her hand not to shake.

 

"Piper Chapman," she said softly.  _God, what a cute name,_ she thought.  _"To the stunning Piper Chapman -Alex V."_ she signed the shirt. Her confident smirk played on her face as she handed back the shirt and the blonde laughed at the inscription. She pulled the shirt over her head and asked for a photo, also. Alex happily obliged, and stood as the blonde - Piper - pulled out her phone. They took a picture together, and this time, Alex's face didn't protest to the huge smile.

 

\-------------------------

 

As Piper walked away from the autograph table, she visibly shuddered in excitement. She couldn't help but think how Alex was even more beautiful in person. She also thought she may have caught Alex staring at her a moment longer than usual and, as petty and sappy as it was, she held on to this thought childishly. Polly met up with her and she laughed out right at Piper.

 

"What?" Piper asked defensively. She glared challengingly at her friend.

 

"Oh my god, you're blushing so hard, Piper. you have  _the_ biggest woman crush on her,"

 

"I do not," She tried to maintain her glare but eventually broke out into a smile. "Okay, fine, she's a decent woman," Polly snorted.

 

"I think you're imagining many other words besides 'decent'," she retorted. "Though I don't blame you," she waggled her eyebrows. Piper shoved her playfully and they both laughed. Piper was heading to go outside when Polly grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Piper gave her a confused look for a moment before Polly went rummaging in her purse. She pulled out a backstage pass and Piper's jaw dropped.

 

"Holy shit y-you bought a pass?!" Polly nodded, beaming. "That means you can meet the cast!" Piper exclaimed.

 

"No, dumb ass, it's for you," Polly shoved it into Piper's stunned hands. Piper squealed so loudly, she got a few looks from people. She hugged Polly tightly.

 

"Okay okay, don't snap me in two. I get it. You're welcome," Piper let go of her friend and Polly shooed her to go backstage. Piper couldn't stop smiling as she followed the arrows to the backstage area. She felt as if she weren't walking but instead floating. Her feet felt light and she kept thinking about different things to say, particularly - to her embarrassment - Alex. She finally, after what seemed like years but was only about two minutes in reality, arrived to the door the led backstage. She opened it and there were already people there. She remembered that only 30 people had the opportunity to get a pass and she wondered how the hell Polly got her hands on one, but she didn't like to look a gift horse in the mouth. A guard looked at the pass and let her all the way in.

 

She looked around the room. There were folding chairs and armchairs scattered about. A table draped in white cloth that resembled the ones at the autograph place held refreshments such as wine, water, soda, and finger snacks. She saw the cast members and the fans intermingling. The cast members constantly getting asked for a photo or being pulled into a conversation. She went over to the refreshment table and got a glass of wine. She found her eyes searching the room for Alex as she sipped from her glass. She walked around the room, searching for her. She felt really stalker-ish trying to find her, but she figured that was what this was for, anyway. She heard a husky voice behind her.

 

"Looking for someone?" Piper turned and looked up slightly into the face of Alex Vause, who had that sexy indignant smirk planted on her face and was holding her own glass of wine. Piper felt her cheeks redden slightly and opened her mouth to speak but closed it quickly. She cursed herself for getting so easily flustered. Alex's smirk only widened.

 

"Piper, right?" she asked, swirling her glass in small circles.

 

"You remembered my name..," Piper was seriously getting pathetic now. However, Alex only chuckled.

 

"You're a bit hard to forget," Piper blushed harder at this and Alex's laugh deepened, seeming to resonate around the room and bounce off the walls before reaching her ears. "So, tell me about you, Piper," she shot an eyebrow up and Piper felt her heartbeat quicken at even the small gesture. But, she cleared her throat and began her little rant of her life: how she graduated from Smith with a literature degree that was never really put to use. She explained how she was a waitress at a local bar and even though Piper had a tendency to babble, Alex nodded her head and seemed interested. After she was done, she bashfully apologized for ranting but Alex just shook her head, dismissing the apology. 

 

Piper found that Alex was quite the conversation starter. They talked about music, high school, and a bit of their childhood. Piper found Alex was very closed off about her past and she didn't really blame her. From what she had heard in her speech, she assumed Alex had a rough childhood and didn't express her feelings with just anybody. However, she found that Alex was a bit more open with her than she expected. It was then that she really started to fall for the actress who was even more enchanting off-screen.

 

"So you went to an acting college?" Piper asked. She didn't know that there were a whole lot of such schools but she knew they were near impossible to get into.

 

"Yeah it was hard as fuck to get accepted and the courses were even harder," Alex explained. "But sometimes things end up working out. I honestly never thought the show would spark up so much attention," she circled her fingertip around the brim of the glass.

 

"Well, it's addictive as hell. I spent more time a day watching it than I care to admit," She was rewarded with one of Alex's laughs. Alex stepped a bit closer to her and whispered into her ear.

 

"I know a couple things that are more fun to do for a few hours," she said suggestively. Piper shivered and Alex chuckled softly before leaning up. She didn't step back, however, and Piper felt their close space to be eerily relaxing.

 

When the event ended, it felt too soon. Piper was going to miss talking to Alex, no doubt, but she also felt as if time had gone by so fast. The forty five minutes for the meet-and-greet part seemed to have only lasted for five minutes. Alex had talked to her the entire time and that made her feel elated. As she turned to go, Alex gently grabbed her hand to make her come back. Piper froze for an instant as she felt a shock run through her body. She turned back to Alex who knew what she did to Piper just then and smirked before flipping her hand over to expose her palm. With her free hand, Alex whipped out a pen and wrote something in her palm. She then smiled at Piper. It was a genuine smile. Piper walked out of the room, feeling a bit dizzy from the emotion that had swept over her. She couldn't believe how much of an effect this woman had over her. As she walked out, she looked down at her palm.

 

Scrawled neatly in the center of her hand was a ten digit number with "Alex" written in all caps above it. Piper closed her hand and smiled so wide her cheeks hurt.

 

She needed a cold shower.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next update will be soon.


	3. Tired of These Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must keep thanking you for your support. You guys rock! :D  
> I'm trying to make these longer.  
> Feel free to leave helpful tips and pointers <3

Polly wouldn't stop teasing Piper about the digits enclosed in her hand. Piper felt as if Polly talked her ear off and whispered down the hole. She smiled at her, though, and had to admit she was as pumped as her best friend. She just wasn't so vocal about it. Piper had a high tendency to babble while Polly rambled on and on and on. 

 

When Polly dropped Piper off at her house, Piper looked down into her hand again. She must have been sweating from the left over adrenaline and she realized with what could only be described as panic, that some of the numbers were smudged.  _Fuck_ she thought. She quickly pulled out her phone to transfer the number into but it was dead.  _Are you fucking kidding me?_ She sighed frustrated at the small set back and nearly ran up the stairs to her apartment door. She flung it open and went to the nearest pad of paper. She pulled out a pen from her pocket. She scribbled on the paper but all that came out of the pen was a faded black line then nothing. Jesus, was the universe against her copying a damn number down? She found a pencil and looked at it suspiciously, as if it would grow legs and run off in an attempt to further prevent her from saving Alex's number. She finally scrawled the number on the paper and sighed in relief, plugging her phone into the wall charger.

 

She sat on the couch and, though she'd finished all there was to watch of BL, she had to watch it again. It was like she was spending time with Alex again. As corny as it was, it was exciting to see the person on screen that she had been talking to less than an hour ago. She picked up her phone, which was on and barely charged, and saved Alex as a contact. Her thumb hovered over the message icon. Wasn't there some kind of three day rule? No, that was only for dating, right? But then again, they had just talked. Piper shouldn't jump the gun. She bit her cheek. It's just a text message not a marriage proposal. Just then, one of her favorite scenes came on and she looked from her phone. Alex, playing Laura, was in a heated discussion with her father. In the show, they didn't know each other until this episode, when Laura went to find him. She discovered him to be a total douche bag and left his house holding back tears. That scene felt strange to Piper because even though Alex was acting, the emotions felt so real. As if Alex had a similar experience. She thought back to Alex's speech at the coliseum and felt bad for the woman all of a sudden. She realized there was a good reason for Alex being so closed off and Piper dramatically thought that she wished she could be there for her. She wished she could hold Alex and make her spill everything so it didn't weigh so heavy on her shoulders. Piper shook her head and snorted.

 

When the episode ended, she got her laptop and checked her email. She had an email someone about Popi. Popi was a company owned by her and Polly - hence the name - where they sold soaps and lotions and bath salts. It had started one day in Polly's kitchen. At first, Polly was a bit hesitant to make a business out of it, but Piper was adamant on the idea. Piper had used her puppy dog eyes and her way of words to convince her friend to start the business with her. Her eyes scanned over the sender and her jaw nearly dropped.

 

_Dear Miss Chapman,_

_We are pleased to inform you that your request to shelve items from your company Popi has been accepted. We would like for you and Miss Harper to join us in a business meeting to discuss price range, storage, and specifics as to which products are to be sold or what we would like to be featured. This will take place at 4:30 pm at our Manager's office (3rd floor, sixth door down on your right). Please do consider following through with us, as your company has peaked our interest. If you have any questions, contact us at 1-800-460-8959._

 

_Yours truly,_

_Mark Lee, CEO of Barney's_

 

The email was short, sweet, and to the point, and had Piper standing up so fast that her computer chair was knocked down. She grabbed her phone and frantically called Polly. Her hand shook as it dialed. It rang and Polly picked up on the second ring.

 

"Polly holy shit did you get the email too?" Piper's voice was shrill with excitement.

 

"What email? I haven't checked it hold on," Piper heard muffled footsteps of Polly walking through her house. Then the rolling of a chair's wheels and the frantic tapping at a keyboard. It took a minute or two but she heard Polly gasp softly over the phone and scream into her ear, causing Piper to wince and hold the phone away from her face.

 

"Oh my god! We're getting into Barneys! Did they say anything else in your email? Was yours short, too? I can't believe they accepted our request. Do you know how many people dream of getting into Barneys? Do you rea-"

 

"Pol. Pol, calm down," Piper laughed. Polly shut up but she could hear loud thumps, meaning Polly was pacing rapidly over by her computer. Piper could almost see the short brunette smiling like an idiot and turning back and forth across the floor.

 

"Okay, okay I'm good. I just.. I can't believe.. oh my  _god,_ "

 

"You do realize that they will probably take the deal away if you have a heart attack and die, right?" Piper snarked. Polly laughed and sighed dreamily, as if the captain of the football team had asked her out. Speaking of asking people out..

 

"Hey, have you spoken to Alleexx?" Polly dragged her name out, teasing Piper. Piper scoffed.

 

"I just got back from talking to her..." Piper fidgeted with a pencil nearby.

 

"Oh please, it's been like two hours,"

 

"Yeah. _Only_ two hours, Pol. I'm not going to hound her down,"

 

"Even though you want to,"

 

"Shut up," Polly laughed again and they hung up. Polly was always in Piper's business and up her ass about it. Piper sat back down on the couch but ended up falling asleep with the TV on and BL playing all the way through.

 

\-------------------------

 

She should've gotten her number. She liked to joke that she was a giver, not a receiver. But Alex found herself desperately wishing she had thought of getting Piper's number in return. She hadn't felt this way about someone before and it scared her. She played it off as a small schoolgirl crush, but she knew it was probably much more. She didn't let herself get her hopes up though. That was the part that really concerned her. Usually, she was confident that everyone she was attracted to wanted her also. But with Piper, she was nervous, she was self-conscious, and she was afraid of rejection from the blonde. She saw how Piper reacted around her but she didn't allow herself to become sure. Piper may just be easily flustered. Alex was openly flirting with her, so it was natural that someone get flustered. Right?

 

"Hey. earth to Asshole," Nicky snapped her fingers in front of Alex's face. Alex blinked and punched Nicky in the shoulder. Nicky grabbed her arm and faked pain.

 

"Ow, don't manhandle me," Nicky grinned but it soon turned into a smirk as she realized what Alex had probably been doing. "Who caught your eye, Vause?" 

 

"What?" Alex played dumb, but when her eyes looked away from Nicky's, the shorter girl knew there was something up.

 

"Don't play games with me. You have a total crush on someone," Alex snorted in mock disbelief.

 

"Did you forget who I am? I don't get pathetic little elementary school crushes," 

 

"Oh, please it's written all over your face," Nicky laughed and batted her eyelashes, clasping her hands beside of her face and putting on a dreamy look. She raised her voice in pitch. "Oh, boy. I sure do hope my Princess Charming comes to sweep me off my fe-" she didn't get the rest out because Alex shoved her playfully.

 

"Shut the fuck up," She couldn't help but laugh at her friend's antics. "You're a horrible actress," Alex joked. Nicky waggled her eyebrows.

 

"That's not what Lorna said,"

 

"You have no room to talk about crushes,"

 

"Are you implying that I like-like Morello?" Nicky gasped dramatically and pretended to be hurt by such an accusation.

 

"'Like-like'? God, we really are in elementary school now," Alex shot back.

 

"So what's her name?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"Her name. The girl you're pining over," Alex crossed her arms and glared at Nicky.

 

"I'm not 'pining' over Pip-" Her name slipped out of Alex's mouth suddenly and Nicky's eyes widened and broke out into a full grin.

 

"Pip-...?" She egged Alex on trying to get her to finish the name. Alex rolled her eyes and mumbled "Piper". Nicky nearly doubled over laughing and Alex smacked her on the back. She and Nicky had been friends since 4th grade. Nicky hung out with a group of kids that bullied her, but she never joined such kids like Jessica Wedge, in the tormenting. She would normally hang back or walk away when they made fun of her. One day, they had finally managed to make Alex break down and cry. That's when Nicky broke down, too, and came over to help. They were friends almost instantly, as their sense of humor was similar and they had a lot of common interests. Nicky was the person that got Alex through her school years and, miraculously, ended up working with her too.

 

"Remind me why we're friends, again," Alex said to Nicky, who was finally calming down. Nicky just shook her head and said she had to go. Alex raised an eyebrow at her and knew Nicky was probably running off with Morello somewhere, but she knew the wild-haired girl would never admit it.

 

Alex found her mind wandering back to Piper and thought again that she really should have gotten her number.

 

\-------------------------

 

_This is ridiculous. I'm tired of these games._ Piper went into her contacts and clicked the message icon next to Alex's name. She suddenly realized she didn't know what to send. Should she ask her outright or avoid the question a little? Piper decided the latter.

 

**Piper:**

Hey.. whatcha up to?

Piper put her phone down, trying to convince herself that she wasn't eager. She got up to get herself a snack, but she was annoyed at herself for having one ear tuned in for the vibration sound of her phone. She headed back to the couch with a bowl of chips and picked up her phone. Nothing yet. She bit her lip. What if Alex didn't want to see her again? What if she had given Piper her number on a whim? A rash decision? Or worse, what if she had given Piper the wrong number? Just then, her phone vibrated and lit up with a text message. Piper mentally cursed at herself for always being dramatic and panicking so quickly.

 

**Alex:**

I thought you'd lost my number 

**Piper:**

Aw, were you waiting on me? ;)

**Alex:**

Do you want me to? ;)

Piper found herself blushing down at her phone. Unbelievable. She had never felt this way about someone before. Well, whatever she felt for this woman. She didn't want to label it quite yet. They had just met, what, four or five hours ago? 

 

**Piper:**

You never answered my question

**Alex:**

I was reading, nosy.  _Orange is the New Black_ is one of my favorite novels.

**Piper:**

Oh, I read that, too a couple weeks ago. 

**Piper:**

So um.. do you have plans for.. you know... for later? 

**Alex:**

Piper Chapman, are you asking me out on a date?

Piper decided to use Alex's own words against her.

 

**Piper:**

Do you want me to? ;)

**Alex:**

I AM going to be awfully bored tonight.. What do you say to that little cafe on the corner of 5th avenue?

**Piper:**

 

_Red's Cafe_? I may be interested..

**Alex:**

No use in playing hard to get, kid. ;) I'm picking you up at 7

Piper had to marvel at her confidence and straight forwardness. She texted Alex her address and smiled. She looked at the clock and felt the wind being knocked out of her. It was 6:00. She only had an hour to get ready. Fuck. She ran to her closet and flipped through her meager wardrobe. She had a couple of fancy outfits, but cafes weren't really something to wear fancy attire to. She shouldn't go casual. Informal, probably. Sexy, but not flashy. She settled on a cream blouse and a black skirt. She applied eyeliner and curled her hair a bit. She was lucky that her blonde locks naturally waved, so curling wasn't that hard of a task. She decided against lipstick and she heard the doorbell ring.

 

The breath caught in her throat as she walked out of the bathroom to go get the door. She took a deep breath and swung the door open. Her deep breath was pretty useless, as it all left her when she saw the beautiful woman in front of her. Alex had her dark bangs pinned on top of her head as usual. Her eyeliner swooped out at the sides and her red lipstick was dark against her pale complexion. She rocked the hell out of a short black dress that hugged her in all the right places. She wore flats, and since Piper was wearing high heels, they were nearly the same height. Piper didn't notice Alex ravaging her with her eyes, partly because Piper was doing the same thing.

 

"Well hey there," Alex's deep, husky voice drifted to her. Alex leaned against the door frame and cocked an eyebrow at Piper, as if finally realizing the girl was a bit flustered already.

 

"Hey.." Piper forced her lips to move. She caught Alex's gaze dart towards them and her cheeks suddenly felt hot. "Are you going to stand in my doorway or are we going to go?" She asked softly, trying to gain her confidence back.  _Pull yourself together, Piper_ she scolded herself. Alex tilted her head back slightly and laughed. She took hold of Piper's hand and they both felt the shock but pretended nothing was out of the ordinary. Alex walked her down to her car which turned out to be a jet black Mercedes.

 

"Wow, nice car," Alex held the passenger door open for her and Piper couldn't help but smile as she climbed in. It was really had to believe that she was about to on on a date with a woman she had just met that day. She figured that some things couldn't wait, though. As Alex made her way to the driver's side, Piper looked around the inside of the nice car. It was mostly rich black leather, but it had wood accents around the dashboard and inside door handles. Hanging from the rear view mirror was a car freshener claiming to be "New Car" scent. Other than an empty coffee mug in the front cup holder, and a few papers scattered in the backseat, the car was pretty clean.

 

Of course Alex was a good driver. Was there anything this woman was not? Piper looked at the window at the businesses whipping by. People walked on the sidewalk in groups or by themselves. Some walked dogs, some pushed strollers. She was always fascinated by New York life. Since she had moved down here after college, she had gotten to know the pattern pretty quickly. Some people were out in the wee hours of the morning, stumbling back from a party or a club. It was super crowded at lunch time and the amount of people tapered off in the evening, then spiked up at night. Especially weekend nights. Piper loved how everyone had a story to tell and no one was really ever boring.

 

Before she knew it, they were pulling up to a brick building named  _Red's Cafe_. She had never been in here before, but she had seen it. Alex had apparently been here, as she smiled for a minute before getting out of the car. Piper was about to open her door when Alex locked it, smirking at her while she made her way to Piper's side. She unlocked it and opened the door for her and Piper chuckled.

 

"Such a gentlewoman," Piper said softly.

 

"I try my best," Alex did a small bow, earning a laugh from Piper.

 

They walked inside and sat at a red booth. They were approached by a waitress whose hair was frizzy, as if she didn't own a hair brush. She looked at Alex and laughed loudly. Piper looked at Alex, confused, as Alex rolled her eyes.

 

"This must be the infamous Piper," Piper shot her eyebrows up that the woman knew her name. She glanced back at Alex who was, to her disbelief, blushing. 

 

"Shut up Nicky and take our order," she mumbled. Nicky only smirked and took their drink requests. She winked at Alex before heading behind the counter.

 

"Sorry about her," Alex started. "She doesn't know how to keep her big fucking mouth shut," Piper just smiled at her.

 

"I have a friend like that," her mind drifted to Polly and she almost laughed out loud. She looked at the menu and she and Alex ordered. While they waited for food, Alex sparked the conversation. They were soon talking about music and Alex shared with her that her favorite band used to be Death Maiden, but now it was The Police. Piper had never heard of either of the bands but she listened attentively to Alex talking. When Alex was passionate, she often opened up. Piper didn't know that Alex didn't usually become so passionate around other people. She didn't realize how special she must be for Alex to talk so freely with her. Alex asked Piper about her favorite songs, and Piper admitted to liking more of the modern pop songs. She was, however, interested in Alex's music and Alex promised to show her sometime.

 

"Oh, so you're saying there will be a next time?" Piper smiled.

 

"Only if you want there to be," Alex leaned forward a bit. Piper tried not to wilt under Alex's radiating confidence and keep up her own.

 

"Possibly," Piper said with a sly grin. "Depends on what you have in mind" Alex chuckled,

 

"Oh," Alex's voice dropped to a low, husky timbre that made Piper's knees weak. "I have many...exciting things in mind," Piper's breath hitched for what was probably the tenth time that day. Alex winked and kept their intimate space. Piper felt herself slipping into her dark green gaze. Like an inexperienced ice skater in the rink, she fell into those orbs and found her thoughts were gone. The center of her attention was Alex and Alex only. The rest of the world around her faded and her peripheral vision blackened as only the face of that woman captured her. Alex stared back at her with as much intent, losing herself too into Piper's blue gaze. They were interrupted by Nicky.

 

"Vause blinked. You win, Piper," Nicky laughed as Piper turned a deep red. Alex shot her the bird and Nicky took their orders. Piper ordered the spaghetti, while Alex got a BLT. Piper looked at her hands mostly and was easily flustered, the last of her confidence having been ripped from her. They continued talking about many things and only shut up when their food came. 

 

When it came time to pay the bill, Alex insisted, but Piper eventually convinced her to at least split it evenly. The drive back to Piper's apartment was pretty silent. However, it wasn't an awkward silence as if they had nothing to say. It was a mutual, comfortable silence that they both relaxed into because they didn't need to talk to enjoy each other's time. When they arrived at Piper's place, Alex walked her to her apartment door. Piper turned around to face the amazing woman who she had met only that afternoon but whom she already felt so close to.

 

"I had a great time, Alex. Thank you," she said softly. She looked up at Alex whose usual smirk was replaced by a genuine smile. A smile that made Piper's mouth turn up in it's own one.

 

"No, thank you, kid. Glad you didn't lose my number," they both chuckled. Piper wondered what she was supposed to do next, when Alex stepped a bit closer. They only had about an inch of space between them, and Alex's gaze pierced hers, as if trying to decipher if Piper was okay with what was happening. Piper tried to convey a sort of calm reassurance in her eyes, though her mind was racing a mile and minute and she felt like she had an army of butterflies in her stomach. Alex seemed to see something in her gaze that she liked because she cupped Piper's cheek. A warmth spread throughout Piper's body and she fought down a shiver. Alex came closer until they shared the same air. Alex's lips brushed hers, as if she were testing. Piper's eyes fluttered shut and she felt the softest lips press onto hers with determination. She wrapped her arm around Alex's waist, because her knees were buckling. Piper never believed in the dramatic movie kiss with supposed electricity until now. Their mouths moved as one and Piper suddenly felt at home right there, on the stoop of her actual home, in Alex's arms.

 

Alex pulled away but their eyes stayed shut for a moment longer, minds frantically trying to save the moment and hearts threatening to break out of their chests. It was Alex who opened her eyes first and brushed a strand of hair from Piper's face, who opened her own eyes. 

 

"Good night, Piper," Alex said softly, her voice would've been lost to the wind if she hadn't been so close.

 

"Good night, Alex," Piper watched Alex turn and walk down the steps. Piper went into her apartment and there was Polly, on her couch. She took one look at Piper's face and her jaw dropped. Polly noticed Piper's hands shaking and looked at her best friend, saying one word:

 

"Spill."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave you a longer chapter this time :D  
> Until next time(:


	4. First day on the job

Polly listened intently as Piper shakily ran over the details of that day. She squealed when Piper told her about the kiss. When she was done, she politely excused herself and went into the bathroom. She took her clothes off and stepped into the shower, turning the water on as cold as it could go.

 

There was no fucking way she was getting Alex out of her mind now (not that she wanted to). The kiss, especially was on her mind. The softness of Alex's lips and the gentle touch of her strong hands on Piper's hips. Piper shivered a bit and once again found herself amazed at how much of an effect this woman had over her. The tall, sexy brunette was quickly weaving her way into Piper's life and Piper didn't want it to stop. Her mind was flitting back to the cafe. She was astonished to see Alex's costar was the waitress, but she had been way too submerged into Alex's gaze to give it a thought. She figured that since BL was popular but not booming, the money flow wasn't all that great yet. She hadn't really thought about it, but she supposed they all had side jobs. She wondered what Alex's was.

 

She changed into an over sized Smith tee that came to her thighs and socks. Polly had left while she was in the shower. When Piper checked her phone, she saw two text messages. She unlocked her screen hoping one of them was from Alex. _You just saw her; stop getting your panties in a bunch._  God, she was so pathetic.

 

**Polly:**

Hey, Pete called and said he had dinner waiting. Which is a first, considering he's usually in front of the TV. Didn't want to spoil it. Talk to you later, mush-ball ;)

 

Piper rolled her eyes. She was  _not_ getting mushy. The next text message made her roll her eyes as her stomach dropped.

 

**Larry:**

Hey, do you um want to grab drinks or something? On me

 

She had met Larry in college and she knew he had always had a giant thing for her, but something about him was just.. off-putting. Yeah, he was sweet and funny but he was just too normal. Too boring for Piper. Yet, he was too sweet for Piper to let down without feeling guilty, so she hung out with him sometimes. However, she was careful not to openly flirt or lead him on. He was a cab driver and an "upcoming journalist", though he hadn't been able to land a gig in the latter yet. He should probably just stick to his day job. That thought made Piper giggle. 

 

She didn't reply to either message and, instead, tossed her phone on her bed before crawling under the comforter. It was only 10 but she was exhausted after the day's adrenaline. She set her alarm clock for 6:30, as tomorrow was Monday and she had a new waitressing job to go to. It was at some bar called  _The Litch_ , and Piper just hoped it was enough income to scrape her by. She bathed in student loan debt and had to keep up with her apartment bills and groceries. She sighed and, right before she drifted off to sleep, Alex's gorgeous face rose behind her closed eyelids and she fell into dreamless bliss with a smile on her face.

 

\-------------------------

 

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

 

Alex groaned and rolled over, thrusting a pillow over her face. She wasn't fully awake but that beeping was pulling her from a rather... steamy dream.

 

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

 

"Uhnn shut UP," she was awake now and pissed. She wasn't Alex before her coffee. She rolled over and slammed her palm down on the alarm's snooze button. She groaned as she slid out of bed and trotted into the kitchen. As the coffee machine was pouring, she tapped her fingers impatiently.  _Any day now._ She looked at the time and silently cursed. She only had an hour to get to work. There wasn't a show meeting today but she had a part-time job that helped her keep food on the table while the show blossomed. All of the cast members had another job. Most of them worked together. For instance, Nicky and Lorna worked at the Cafe, she and Cindy worked at the bar, and Poussey and Taystee worked at a nearby library. They had all had to quit their other jobs when they got signed onto the show, because their old jobs couldn't handle the schedule. Now that they all had more flexible jobs, the business was running smoothly and they had made a lot of friends and expanded their social group. On Friday nights, they would sometimes meet at a bar and give each other shit about what happened during the week.

 

She sipped at her coffee and instantly felt better. Donned in black Beatles shirt, skinny jeans, and her combat boots, she headed out the door. The morning sun was just arching over the horizon. It was only 7 in the morning but the sun was already blinding. Damn this New York summer's heat. She was able to quickly hail a cab and make it to her workplace with 10 minutes left to spare. She thanked the driver and gave him a good tip. 

 

He drove off and she stood facing the bar. The red LED sign in front read simply:

 

_The Litch_

 

_\-------------------------_

 

Piper was early to the job. Half an hour early, to be exact. When she walked in and the small bell above the door rang out, someone's head jerked towards the sound. It was a black lady with a fro-like hairstyle. She grinned at Piper and walked over.

 

"Yous a bit early, ain't ya? All eager and shit," Piper smiled at her outgoing attitude and stuck out her hand.

 

"I'm Piper Chapman.. the new waitress," The woman shook her hand politely and introduced herself as Cindy-though-everyone-calls-her-Black Cindy. Piper jokingly asked where White Cindy was, which made the other lady bellow out a laugh. Then, she half turned and called out over her shoulder.

 

"Yo, Trish, come meet the newbie!" A younger girl with bleach blonde braids came from behind the bar and Piper figured she was the bartender. She looked over Piper and gave her an approving nod before Piper figured out her name was Tricia. They talked idly about what Piper was supposed to do and what was expected of her. Cindy was very forward with Piper but she joked around a lot, while Tricia was timid but fierce. Piper liked the two already. Tricia showed her around a little bit and handed Piper the apron-like belt that went around her waist that carried her order notebook, pens, straws, and the like. When Tricia put one of her own on, Piper looked at her confused. 

 

"Oh, I thought you were the bartender," Piper said chuckling a little.

 

"Nope, that would be me," Piper's eyes widened at the familiar husky voice. As she turned around, there was Alex Vause, in all of her 5"10' glory. Alex had her infamous smirk on as she looked at the pair of waitresses.

 

"Oh.. I-I didn't know you..," Piper stuttered out. Alex just laughed that deep, rich laugh that made Piper slightly weak at the knees and nodded.

 

"I actually own the place. But I prefer bar tending to being cooped up in an office all day. Though I do have one, and would like to speak with you in it," She gestured behind Piper and Piper found her legs and walked towards the area she had indicated. She suddenly felt Alex's hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her. She couldn't fight back the smile that crossed over her face.

 

They went through an oak door and Piper found Alex's office to be quite nice. There was a matching oak table facing away from the back wall. There were a few chairs in the small room and of course one behind the desk. Pictures of an older woman were dotted along the walls. From the striking resemblance to Alex, Piper figured it was her mother. Alex's hand fell from Piper's back and she found herself missing it's warmth. Alex made her way behind the desk and sat in her chair. She gestured for Piper to sit in a chair in front of her and Piper did. Alex leaned back, making the chair squeak slightly, and crossed her legs.

 

"So, hours" she began. "We're open every night from 6pm to midnight. But Friday through Monday, we are open from 8am to noon then the regular 6pm to midnight. Your shifts will be 8am to 11am on Friday and Monday, and 7pm to 11pm on the rest of the nights. Though you should probably arrive a little early to your shifts because we like to socialize," she winked and Piper felt her cheeks grow warm. She liked this business side of Alex. This authoritative demeanor. She wondered what other sides of Alex there were. Alex glanced at the black clock on the wall. 7:45. 15 minutes until they opened. Alex stood and so did Piper. As Alex came around the desk, Piper noticed the rose tattoo on her bicep, again. Alex looked at her with amusement before they walked out of the office.

 

Her shift went by pretty smoothly and she found herself enjoying this job a lot. The rest of the staff she had met were really friendly. There was another younger girl named Mercy. It seemed Mercy and Tricia had a thing going on. There was a woman with short black hair who was beefy but short. Everyone called her Big Boo. Piper only got one table's drinks mixed up but, what could she say; she was a bit rusty. Tricia was nice and helpful, but as the shift wore on, the younger girl got annoyed with a specifically rowdy table. They kept sending their drinks back and changing their minds and complaining about the food.

 

"Hey, Blondie, why don't you get my friend here a beer?" Piper turned her head to meet the eyes of a young man, probably fresh out of college. A frat boy. A jock. Something about him set Piper on edge. She didn't know if it was the hungry glint in his eye or the menacing smirk that he wore. He winked at her and she nodded, quickly heading to the bar. Alex looked up from the counter she was wiping down with a rag and her soft smile eased Piper's growing nerves. She headed back to the table with beer bottle in hand. 

 

"Why don't you tell us your name, Blondie?" The original guy asked. The man who had wanted the beer grabbed it from her hand suddenly and her arm jerked forward with the force. She lowered her arm nervously.

 

"Piper," she tried to keep her voice level and calm. She saw his eyes drop to her breasts, then the rest of the way down her body. Fucking frat boy pigs, thinking they can pick up any chick they please. His gaze finally returned to her eyes and she had to look away from his gaze, because the disturbing animal lust there was overwhelming. She turned to return to the bar when he grabbed her arm to turn her around.

 

"Hey, I wasn't done talking to you, sweetheart. Come over here and let me give you a generous tip," He winked again, slower, and his smirk spread. She felt bile rise and then another hand on her shoulder. She tensed but quickly relaxed, hearing the voice behind her.

 

"Oh, but she was sure as hell done talking to  _you_ ," Alex said firmly. "I don't like the way you're talking to my wait-staff. I'm going to have to ask you to leave,"

 

"Oh come on we were just having a little fun, weren't we  _Piper_ ," he drawled her name out and she knew Alex felt her tense again because the raven-haired woman said fiercer:

 

"You will get the fuck out of here before I get someone to escort you," her hand tightened a little on Piper's shoulder but Piper held her ground. She saw in her peripheral vision that a taller guard had come over to assess the situation. The man looked at the guard and sneered. He then gestured to his three other friends and they all got up and left, muttering obscenities under their breaths. When they were gone, Alex turned Piper around gently and looked her in the eye.

 

"You alright?" she asked tentatively.

 

"Yeah.. yeah I'm fine,"

 

"Not an every day occurrence, I swear," Alex pushed a blonde lock from Piper's face and she felt a calm descend upon her as she looked into those green pools of reassurance. She nodded and managed to smile up at her.

 

The rest of the shift went on without incident, and at 11am, Piper was ready to clock out. She looked over her shoulder at Alex who was cleaning up. Piper was confused. She thought they closed at noon. Alex must've read her mind.

 

"Decided to close up shop early today. Not a whole lot of business. Or at least  _good_ business," Piper knew she was referring to the men from earlier. Piper chuckled and lingered at the door a moment. Alex looked back up at her and smirked, quirking an eyebrow. That move still got to Piper and she didn't know if it ever wouldn't.

 

"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to have drinks," Piper's lips moved with uncertainty, not sure if Alex were busy or if she even wanted to go out with Piper. This sudden courage was probably brought on by her Stage 4 Foot-in-Mouth disease. Alex, however only smiled at her.

 

"Love to," she replied. Piper sat back down at the bar

 

"Margarita, please,"

 

"Bit cold out for a margarita, don't ya think?" Piper laughed at Alex's reference to her own show. It was the middle of summer. Alex seemed pleased she caught the reference and set out making them drinks. They talked and Alex told her about how she first opened the bar. She had just barely enough money from a short gig she had done as being an actress on one episode of another TV show. The show had never really taken off but Alex had earned a pretty penny from it. She figured that if she were going to have a part time job, she might as well own it. She explained to Piper how the bar hours often conflicted with her acting schedule and she was thinking of hiring a manager for the place, but it would have to be someone she trusted. Piper realized Alex didn't trust many people. Then, they delved into another conversation of music for a little while, and then novels. Piper shared her love for poetry and Stephen King. Alex listened to her with great interest and Piper had nerve felt so adored. She could still hardly believe that one of the most famous actresses of her favorite show was having drinks with her in a bar. Piper caught Alex looking at her lips a couple times.

 

When the conversation dwindled down to a comfortable silence, Alex looked at her watch.

 

"Holy shit it's already 3 o clock," Piper gaped. She couldn't believe how quickly the time passed when she was with Alex. It was like they had known each other for years and were catching up like old friends. Alex stood and Piper fished out her wallet.

 

"What are you doing?" Alex laughed.

 

"Paying you for the drink...?"

 

"Are you kidding?" Alex leaned her elbow on the bar and leaned in closer to Piper. "It's on the house, Pipes" Piper smiled at the nickname and bit her lip, drawing Alex's gaze there. Piper felt her chest tighten and her stomach flutter. Alex looked back into Piper's eyes and she noticed her green eyes had gone a shade darker. Piper decided that this was her time to take initiative as she leaned in slowly, cautiously. She and Alex breathed in the same small space. Alex straightened up, still keeping the close proximity, if not making the space between them smaller. Piper was forced to tilt her head up a bit.  _So beautifully tall_ , she thought. Alex brought her hands to cup Piper's face and the space was finally eliminated as the two pairs of lips crashed together in a passionate embrace. Piper's arms draped around Alex's neck as she felt hands sliding down to her waist. She felt Alex's soft tongue run gently across her bottom lip and Piper allowed her mouth to open slightly. Their mouths battled for dominance and Alex won quickly. Piper absently kept track of hands that were running up the hem of her blouse. She gasped against Alex's mouth at the feel of those strong hands against her bare back and stomach. Alex smiled into the kiss as her hands traveled further up her shirt to rest just underneath her bra. 

 

"Holy shit!" Alex spun around at the sound of a new voice and Piper looked over her shoulder, blushing fiercely. Nicky was standing just inside the doorway.

 

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Alex growled. Piper slid an arm around Alex's waist and felt Alex relax immediately.

 

"I was driving from the Cafe and I saw the lights were on and.." Nicky trailed off laughing. Alex shot her middle finger up at her friend but it only made Nicky laugh harder.

 

"I'll just leave you two to it," Nicky quickly exited before Alex threw something at her. She turned back to Piper and cupped her cheek softly, gazing into those icy blue eyes.

 

"I should probably go," Alex whispered. "Gotta have time to change before we open up again," Piper nodded and hid her disappointment well. She grabbed her purse and wallet and made her way to the door with Alex on her heels. They stepped out onto the sidewalk of New York. The scorching sun beat down on them and Piper squinted against it's blazing glare. She waved to Alex and began to walk down the street the way she had come.

 

"Piper, did you walk here?!" Alex called after her incredulously. Piper turned and nodded, smiling.

 

"I like walking," she responded. Alex chuckled and walked over to her.

 

"In that case, could I walk you home?" Piper, not for the last time, found herself amazed at the woman's confidence and ease with which she flirted and talked to Piper. Piper entwined her fingers in Alex's and looked at their clasped hands. She felt so happy in that moment, yet there was always that hanging cloud of doubt. She pushed the negative feelings away and looked back at Alex and repeated her words from before.

 

"Love to"

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed! Until next time.


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